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Keeneland’s 85th Anniversary Meet Sees Record Handle Of $181 Million

Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., concluded its 2021 Fall Meet, which celebrated the 85th anniversary of racing at the iconic track, on Saturday with quality racing, wagering options for handicappers of all levels, idyllic fall weather and family-friendly special events that combined to generate a track record all-sources wagering total of $181 million for the season.

Keeneland offered a race meet record of $6 million in stakes purses and an expanded stakes schedule of 22 races this fall to further elevate its racing program throughout the meet. Fans responded enthusiastically.

All-sources wagering (not including whole-card simulcasting at Keeneland) for the 17-day Fall Meet, held Oct. 8-30, totaled $181,009,626, smashing the record of $164,680,229 set during the 2021 Spring Meet and the previous Fall Meet record of $160,207,916 set in 2019. The total represents a 22 percent increase over last fall's $148,229,708.

“We are so appreciative of the tremendous support from our fans, our horsemen, the Central Kentucky community, our horseplayers, and our corporate partners,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “Welcoming fans back to Keeneland this fall, along with the return of our special events and tailgating on The Hill, felt like a breath of fresh air after the restrictions of the past year and a half. It was a terrific way to mark our 85th year of racing and to celebrate the important role Keeneland plays in our community and the horse industry.”

Wagering was boosted when on Fall Stars Saturday, Oct. 9, Keeneland established records for Fall Meet single-day all-sources and Pick 5 wagering, besting previous records set on Fall Stars Saturday in 2019 and 2020, respectively. All-sources handle totaled $20,926,640, surpassing the $18,392,756 set in 2019. Wagering on the All-Stakes Pick 5 totaled $1,255,080 to shatter the former Fall Meet record of $868,303 from 2020.

Keeneland introduced a new wager, the Keeneland Turf Pick 3, with a $3 minimum and 15 percent takeout, tying together the final three turf races of each day. The wager was well received by the public, netting a total handle of $1,683,502, or an average of $112,233 per day. The average payout was over $1,300 for a $3 wager.

On-track wagering for the Fall Meet totaled $15,162,221, for an average of $2,477,890.

Memorable Racing Moments and Milestones

Purses at Keeneland this fall remained among the richest in North America, averaging $880,511 per day, up 29 percent over the 2020 Fall Meet. Average starters per race was 8.7.

To enhance the final days of the season, Keeneland scheduled two new $150,000 juvenile stakes, the Myrtlewood and Bowman Mill; revived the Perryville and Bryan Station, both fixtures for 3-year-olds, and scheduled the Grade 3 Rubicon Valley View and Grade 2 Hagyard Fayette to create multiple stakes cards.

Keeneland featured a deep turf schedule with 12 of its 22 stakes held on the grass, headlined by three Grade 1 events: $750,000 Keeneland Turf Mile, $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, and $400,000 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare.

The Fall Meet showcased a number of Breeders' Cup-bound horses in 10 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races. Among those winners pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup are Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Rattle N Roll (TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance); Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades winner Juju's Map (NetJets Juvenile Fillies); First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare winner Blowout (GB) (FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF); Indian Summer (L) Presented by Keeneland Select winner Averly Jane (Juvenile Turf Sprint); Grade 2 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine winner California Angel (Juvenile Fillies Turf); Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster winner Letruska (Distaff); Grade 1 Keeneland Turf Mile winner In Love (BRZ) (Mile) and Grade 2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix winner Special Reserve (Qatar Racing Sprint).

Another Fall Meet stakes winner pre-entered in the Breeders' Cup is Grade 2 Woodford Presented by TVG winner Golden Pal (Turf Sprint).

“Fans enjoyed a spectacular fall season of racing, and we say a sincere 'thank you' to our owners, trainers, and jockeys for their loyalty and support,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “We are proud of the lucrative purse money and expanded racing opportunities offered during the Fall Meet, and look forward to continuing to strengthen the quality of our program.”

This fall, Keeneland also welcomed two new race sponsors. Castle & Key Distillery, one of Central Kentucky's most popular distillery destinations, sponsored the Grade 2 Bourbon, a Breeders' Cup Challenge event won by Tiz the Bomb, who is pre-entered in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Rubicon, a Lexington-based software company known as “America's technology company” that provides smart waste and recycling solutions to businesses and governments worldwide, became the new sponsor of the Grade 3 Valley View, won by Navratilova.

Among the racing highlights, two owners – Godolphin and G. Watts Humphrey Jr. – achieved their eighth graded stakes win at Keeneland to each earn a Keeneland Tray as part of the track's Milestone Trophy Program. Both were accomplished with homebreds – Godolphin with Caramel Swirl in the Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run and Humphrey with Navratilova in the Rubicon Valley View.

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Fall Meet Leaders

The nation's top owners, trainers, and jockeys competed at Keeneland this fall, and their participation heightened the excitement surrounding the title races.

Eclipse Award-winning rider Tyler Gaffalione dominated a deep jockey colony with 29 wins to earn his second consecutive, and third overall, Fall Meet title. He was also leading rider during Keeneland's 2020 Summer Meet. Gaffalione's record was enhanced by five days on which he rode three or more winners, and he notched a win aboard Averly Jane in the Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select.

Florent Geroux finished second in the standings with 16 wins, highlighted by the Darley Alcibiades with Juju's Map and the Perryville with He'smyhoneybadger.

Among the jockeys to notch stakes wins during the Fall Meet were brothers Brian Hernandez Jr. and Colby Hernandez, Corey Lanerie, Flavien Prat, Joel Rosario, John Velazquez, Irad Ortiz Jr., Julien Leparoux, Rafael Bejarano, and Javier Castellano.

The battle for leading trainer honors between Brad Cox and Wesley Ward was decided in the final race on closing day. Cox prevailed with 14 victories to secure his second consecutive Fall Meet Keeneland title. Cox also earned the title in the 2018 Spring Meet. Cox's stakes wins were the Darley Alcibiades with Juju's Map and the Perryville with He'smyhoneybadger.

Ward, a seven-time leading trainer at Keeneland, won 13 races, including the Woodford Presented by TVG with Golden Pal and Indian Summer Presented by Keeneland Select with Averly Jane, to rank second in the standings.

Chad Brown and Kenny McPeek were among the other trainers to win two graded stakes this fall. Brown took the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare with Blowout and the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana with Shantisara (IRE). McPeek scored with Rattle N Roll in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and with Tiz the Bomb in the Castle & Key Bourbon.

Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm and Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's Godolphin tied for leading owner with four wins each. It is the first Keeneland owner title for Calumet under Kelley's ownership and the second for Godolphin, who also won in the 2017 Spring Meet.

Fall Meet Special Events Offer Fun and Philanthropy

Keeneland welcomed the on-site return of its popular special events calendar, which exemplified philanthropic goals in keeping with the track's mission to support the Central Kentucky community and horse industry.

Keeneland partnered with valued race sponsors to support community initiatives. Juddmonte and Keeneland donated $10,000 to the Kentucky Equine Management Internship Program. Lexus and Keeneland contributed $5,000 to The MAP Foundation to benefit the Woodhill Community Center.

Current members of the Keeneland jockey colony joined retired riders for an autograph session on Oct. 9 that raised $6,372 for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

On Make-A-Wish Day, Oct. 14, Keeneland teamed with local Thoroughbred farms and organizations to grant wishes for 10 deserving children, who, along with their families, enjoyed a VIP day at the races. More than $8,000 was raised from fans who placed donations into the “Wishing Well” near the Keeneland Paddock.

The following day, Keeneland hosted College Scholarship Day Presented by Lane's End. Full-time college students were eligible to win one of 10 $2,000 scholarships provided by Keeneland and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and one of two $10,000 scholarships provided by Lane's End.

Heroes Day Presented by Rubicon on Oct. 24 honored members of the military and first responders (law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, and health care workers) and their families with free general admission and access to reserved Grandstand seats. The afternoon featured lunch provided by City BBQ, children's activities, a spectacular flag unfurling on the main track, and special recognitions and remembrances throughout the day. Keeneland and Rubicon donated $5,000 to the Fraternal Order of Firefighters.

The post Keeneland’s 85th Anniversary Meet Sees Record Handle Of $181 Million appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Chris Husbands, Julie Mathes Take Leading Rider, Trainer Titles At Fort Erie Race Track

The falling rain could not keep the fans away on closing day of the 2021 racing season at Fort Erie Race Track. However, for the safety of both horses and riders, the 39th and final day of the meet was cut short due to inclement weather.

“Unfortunately, due to the continuous rainfall throughout the day we could not carry out the remainder of the card,” said Drew Cady, the general manager for the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium (FELRC). “Despite our shortened card today, we still had a tremendous season, one in which we were able to welcome back fans who missed out on the 2020 racing season due to COVID-19 restrictions.”

The leading rider at this year's meet, Chris Husbands scored 52 wins during the 124th racing season at the border oval. Some of those victories included back-to-back wins with Fort fan-favourite Pepperoni (Jul. 26 /Aug. 31) as well as Wheat King (Jun. 22/29). Husbands also rode Red Equinox to victory in the Rondeau Bay Stakes on Prince of Wales Day, Sept. 14.

“I had a really good start and I just continued on that momentum. I was blessed to ride good horses. The owners and trainers gave me good horses, which I really appreciated. Thanks to all the owners and trainers who gave me a shot and the opportunity,” said Husbands.

Trainer Julie Mathes secured the title of leading trainer for a second year in a row. During the 2021 season, Mathes won 23 races. On yesterday's card she secured a victory with Team Win (in race nine) with jockey Omar Moreno aboard. In 2020, Mathes secured 29 wins. Bruno Schickedanz secured 16 wins, giving him the title of top owner at the border oval this year.

While yesterday's ten-race card saw over a million in wagering, the shortened card on Tuesday saw close to $400,000 in wagering. In total, Fort Erie had $28.6 million in wagering for 2021.

With this racing season in the books, the border oval looks ahead to next year's meet and has applied for 40 race days, operating on mostly Mondays and Tuesdays, beginning May 31 through to October 18.

For more information about Fort Erie Race Track, visit www.forterieracing.com.

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Gonzalez, Marquez Take Leading Trainer, Jockey Titles For Pimlico’s Preakness Meet

Pimlico Race Course brought the curtain down on its extended Preakness Meet Sunday with veteran Claudio Gonzalez and teenage sensation Charlie Marquez formally wrapping up their respective titles as leading trainer and jockey at the historic track in Baltimore, Md.

Gonzalez had one starter on Sunday's nine-race program, running fourth with Blue Sky Painter in Race 7, concluding the two-month stand with 40 wins, more than twice that of runners-up Mike Trombetta and Kieron Magee (19). It marked the second straight Preakness Meet title and 17th overall in Maryland for Gonzalez, a 44-year-old cancer survivor.

Among Gonzalez's meet highlights were stakes wins by Harpers First Ride in the July 31 Deputed Testamony and both Miss Leslie in the Weber City Miss and Completed Pass in the King T. Leatherbury April 24.

Originally scheduled to run May 6-31, the Preakness Meet began April 22 when racing was shifted from Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., following an equine herpesvirus outbreak and later extended due to a complete reconstruction of Laurel's main track. Horses and personnel, relocated to various facilities including Pimlico and the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, returned to Laurel April 8.

“It feels good,” Gonzalez said. “It was a little different this year. The good thing for me is, I had my horses at Pimlico and I believe that's better for the horses when you're training where you run. It makes it easier for us and the help, everybody.

“They do the hard work. Everybody sees my name or another title, but if you don't have the right help, I don't make it,” he added. “It's the truth. I have to thank all my help.”

Gonzalez has won both full meets in Maryland this year following Laurel's winter stand, and was leading its spring meet standings when live racing was moved to Pimlico after just four days. He has been Maryland's overall leading trainer by wins each of the past four years.

“You feel pressure because people might think it's easy to win titles or win races. It's not that easy. It takes a lot of hard work,” Gonzalez said. “I have to thank all the owners for supporting me and giving me a chance. The owners I have are really good and they understand where we are with the horses and putting them in the right spots.”

Gonzalez said GMP Stables, Arnold Bennewith, and Cypress Creek Equine's Harpers First Ride, a five-time stakes winner for Gonzalez including the historic Grade 3 Pimlico Special in 2020 and back-to-back editions of the Deputed Testamony, is getting some time off. He is 2-for-2 since rejoining Gonzalez in May after being sold in January and making three starts for Midwest-based trainer Robertino Diodoro.

“I talked with the owners and we decided to give him a little rest. He has run a couple good races with us and he deserves and he needs a little break,” Gonzalez said. “It all depends on how he looks on the farm where he is. Maybe we give him a few months over there and then we'll see how he does.”

Marquez, 18, captured Pimlico's Sunday opener aboard Lost Uncle ($4.40) to give him 49 wins. J.D. Acosta finished second with 40 wins, two ahead of Jevian Toledo in third.

It is the first career riding title for Marquez, a native of Columbia, Md., whose 58 wins made him Maryland's leading apprentice of 2020. He had two or more wins on a single card 14 times at the Preakness Meet, during which he graduated to journeyman status May 30 and also posted multi-win days at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., and Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.

Marquez is represented by Tom Stift. Marty Leonard, who has Sheldon Russell and Toledo as clients, had been booking mounts for Marquez but agents are not allowed to carry three journeymen.

“It means a lot to me,” Marquez said. “We moved here in April and to hold the lead all the way until now is pretty hard to do, a lot of the riders say. I'm proud of myself, and I can't help but think of and thank everyone that helped me.

“My mom, who brought me up and got me familiar with everyone. My agents, that put me on live horses. Just everyone that gave me opportunities, really,” he added. “Everything goes to them. I'm just the passenger.”

Super C Racing finished as leading owner with nine wins, one more than Joseph Besecker and Robert D. Bone.

Highlighting the Preakness Meet was the 146th Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, returned to mid-May after being pushed back to October last year during an altered stakes schedule amid the coronavirus pandemic. It was won by Rombauer, giving trainer Mike McCarthy his first Triple Crown race victory.

Army Wife won the prestigious Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan for 3-year-old fillies, the traditional Preakness Eve feature. Other graded-stakes winners over Preakness weekend were Last Judgment in the Pimlico Special, Somelikeithotbrown in the Grade 2 Dinner Party, Red Ghost in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness, Spice is Nice in the Grade 3 Allaire du Pont, Mighty Mischief in the Grade 3 Chick Lang, Mean Mary in the Grade 3 Gallorette, and Special Reserve in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint.

Live racing in Maryland moves to Timonium for the State Fair Meet Aug. 27-29 and Sept. 3-6 before returning to Laurel Park for its calendar year-ending fall stand starting Thursday, Sept. 9.

Laurel's grandstand will be open Wednesdays through Sundays during the State Fair Meet. The entire main floor of the clubhouse will be open on Saturdays as well as the grandstand's Sports Book bar.

Doors will open at 11 a.m. at Laurel Saturday, Aug. 28 to accommodate a first-race post of 11:35 a.m. at Saratoga for its Travers Day program.

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Maker Barn Sprints to Early Spa Lead

Mike Maker, with 42 training titles at Kentucky's five racetracks, is very much a contender this summer for the coveted prize at Saratoga Race Course.

A remarkable stretch of nine wins from 25 starters last week pushed Maker to the top of the table with 14 wins in the first 14 days of the 40-day season. He had at least one winner in each of the five racing days of the week and his stable hit the board at a 72% rate. That run of success enabled Maker to finish the week on Sunday with a six-victory lead over Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen and he was seven ahead of Chad Brown and Brad Cox. His win streak ended during Wednesday's program he had a third and a fourth with his starters.

Maker, 52, acknowledged that he was optimistic about how his stable might fare in the opening weeks of the Saratoga season.

“The condition book fit us well,” he said. “We had a lot of horses doing well, a lot of babies getting ready to run. It's hard to predict 14 wins, but we have had a good start.”

Maker's stable is typically strong on the turf–he started Wednesday's card with a meet-leading seven wins on the grass– had to deal with what has been an unusually rainy summer in upstate New York. A total of 21 races–10 last week alone–have been moved from the turf to the main track this season.

“It kind of hurt us the first week, but that's racing,” Maker said. “You keep plugging along.”

Maker earned his 11th Saratoga stakes victory, and seventh in the past two seasons, according to Equibase, on Saturday when Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border (English Channel) picked up a repeat victory in the GII Bowling Green S.

With 44 horses at Saratoga and another 50 at Belmont Park, Maker has a well-stocked stable to compete at Saratoga.

“We've been rotating them in and out and we've got Kentucky to draw from, too,” he said. “We're still going to try to place the horses properly and see what happens.”

Maker had his best showing at Saratoga in 2020, finishing in a tie for third place with Christophe Clement at 20 victories. Todd Pletcher led the way 32 wins, four ahead of Chad Brown.

With a smile and nod, Maker said he thinks about winning the Saratoga title.

“It's a nice thought,” he said. “Chad, Todd, Christophe are tough and we know racing can turn around in a hurry. You've got to have a lot of racing luck.”

Maker said finishing on top at Saratoga is always a goal, but one that has not yet been achieved.

“It'd be great, obviously,” he said. “Very prestigious meet. We're fortunate to be in the position we are.”

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